What I Read On My Summer Vacation

Hey, kids! What time is it?

That's right! It is time for another column. I was on an unannounced hiatus for a couple of weeks, but I am back. WIth a vengence.With work and the impending wedded bliss, I decided to focus on real life, as opposed to virtual life. I missed my Wife Of The Future.

Today being Wednesday, the geeks brave sunlight and buy new comics. Me being a geek (and not just any old geek, mind you, but Archduke Of Geeks, as I have managed a game shoppe and own a lifesize replica lightsaber), I, too, risked potential exposure to *shudder* the dreaded rays of cursed Sol. That means...

NEW COLUMN!

We are throwing the budget format out the window this week to get to everything I read on my break. I have a little bit of extra change and decided to even get a very nice hardcover collection for the looming bookshelves in my living room. More on that later. First, here is my pull list for the last few weeks:

• Alpha Flight #7 (current series)- Sometimes, all you need is silly. That's why this book works for me. We see more character development here, with the characters catching their collective breath after the first storyarc. I don't have high hopes for the longevity of this book, so I am enjoying it while it is here.
• Army Of Darkness: Ashes 2 Ashes #2- Every year for my birthday, at one point, I watch Evil Dead 2: Dead By Dawn. At Blockbuster, when I was interviewing for a job, I answered "Bruce Campbell" when asked who is my favorite actor. I have seen almost every movie he's been in. Love Bug remake? Seen and enjoyed. Some Disney movie about goldmining starring Alyssa Milano? Seen. Not necessarily enjoyed. He is set on my TiVo wishlist, just in case the gods smile down on me and bring him to my television. So, it pretty much went without saying that I was going to buy this book, but, honestly, I didn't have high hopes for this title. It has been surprising me, though. It picks up right where Army Of Darkness left off and heads off running. Laced with in-jokes from the movies and Ash's trademark wit and strange combination of heroics and cowardice, this book has yet to disappoint me. The cartoony art style fits the world of the Necromonicon and, in this issue, we actually get a glimpse of what it would be like if the evil won. Good stuff. While I am on this, I would just like to appeal to any god or devil or movie exec: Please make Freddy vs. Jason vs. Ash. I will give you my second born. My first already goes to the gypsies.
• Astonishing X-men #5- Ok I now officially like this book. Granted, it is not as good as Morrison's take on the team, but if we constantly compare books to how they were in the past, we will never move forward. This is good stuff. This shouldn't be a spoiler anymore, but here's your warning anyway. SPOILER, POOPYHEAD! Having Colossus back is nice. I am happy about it. He has always been one of my favorites and it seems that they might actually do something with for the first time in years. Kitty Pryde has always been my favorite x-character and Peter Rasputin comes with that package. Cassaday's art is fine work, as usual. I'll keep reading 'em if they stay like this.
• Books Of Magic: Life During Wartime #3- So, I like this book. The art is good and the story interesting, but I still don't really understand what is going on. Maybe it's my blond showing through... Might be time to get some back history in the form of trade paperbacks.
• Conan #8 (current series)- Kid Conan: Vanquisher of Bullies! I love this book. There is one panel where Kid Conan holds a sword for the first time that brought a smile to my face. It's great to see Conan done right. I said it before and I'll say it again: go read every issue of this book. There is a reason #0 won Best Single Issue at the Eisners this year.
• Bite Club #6- Nice finish. Every plotline wrapped up quite nicely and it all tied together. This will be one I buy a trade of just so I can reread it over and over and over...
• Daredevil #64 and #65- Forty freakin' years? Wow. That means I have been reading it for almost twenty. Sheesh. #64 saw the end of the Black Widow storyline and more on the failed marriage of Matt and Milla. # 65 gives us more backstory of how the other heroes dealt with Matt being unmasked (or is he? Could the ghost of Mike Murdock rear his flamboyant head?). It also teases what looks to be the next storyline. Good stuff, as usual. Even if it wasn't, I'd probably still buy it because I am a big ol' sucker.
• Fables #29- This is the first series in a long time to grab me and not let go. This features the conclusion of the "Bigby in WWII" storyline. Next issue: the return of artist Mark Buckingham and an all-new yearlong storyarc! Who's the mayor now? What's happening with Snow and her unborn baby (or babies? Is it a litter?)? Will my dreams be realized and this title become weekly with the same high quality work? Treat yourself and get the first trade. You won't be disappointed.
• The Flash #214 (current series)- "The Secret From The Grave Of The Flash?" More like "The Secret To Getting People To Buy Next Month's Issue". I kid! This was a good issue, showing us just how long Wally has been around. Could we see a resolution to one of the dangling plotlines from last year soon? God, I hope so. Another book I would buy even if chimps were drawing it. Actually, that would probably make me buy it more. Guest pencils: Grape Ape.
• Futurama Comics #19- This one was not bad, but felt a bit rushed. Still, any Futurama is better than none.
  
• Hellblazer #200!- Whoo! 200 already? Yay! I must confess that I was confused with the story in this one at first, but it all started to click. My lovely fiancee was only a third of the way through before she asked me what the hell was going on in the book. If I wouldn't tell her, what makes you think I am going to tell you? Not exactly a good jumping-on point for the series, but for us long-time fans, good read. Methinks John's life is going to be difficult for the next few months. My hope is that the attention from the movie won't water this title down, but the big "CONSTANTINE" above the title has me shaken slightly. Hey, anything to attract more attention to funnybooks is ok by me, as long as the quality is there.
  
• Identity Crisis #4- Shockingly death-free! No recap on this one. I have too much respect for the mystery genre to spoil it. Go get them all and see what all the hoopla is about. If you have any questions on anyone in the book, ask me. If I don't know it, ask the King Of Geeks. Either of us would be more than happy to explain.
• Secret Files & Origins: JLA 2004- I am a sucker for Who's Who or Secret Files or Handbook of The Marvel Universe. Any compilation or synopsis-style book instantly goes onto the pull list. This one wasn't that great, but that's probably because I haven't read JLA in over two years. Ehh.
• JSA#65- My favorite title. More of the same, which is a good thing. Superhero team book as it should be done. You can't really go wrong when Solomon Grundy and one of the JSA's oldest villains are involved. Where are my JSA collections? I want them all in an archive-style collection! Gimme!
• JSA: Strange Adventures #2- And this is how superheroes should be written if they are in their prime and fighting nazi cyborgs!
• Madrox #1- Peter David's replacement book, after the untimely demise of Captain Marvel. This one is more straightforward than Cap. So far, so good. I bet he can have lots of fun playing with the idea of a detective who can make infinite clones of himself. But didn't Jamie Madrox die? Where's my "Previously..." recap box?
• Manhunter #2 (current series)- This book took me completely by surprise. Good, good stuff. I like seeing real places in L.A. as scenery. No superhero action in this one, but plenty of good story development. Keep it up.
• Official Handbook Of The Marvel Universe: Daredevil 2004- See? Sucker for these things. Nothing but text synopses of the major players in DD's life. Cool, if your into that sort of thing.
• Rogue #3- This one was for the love of my life. Honestly, I barely paid attention to this one. CSI was on. Waddaya want from me?
  
• Simpsons Comics #98- We finally get some history on the big Olmec head that is in the Simpsons' basement. Funny stuff.
• Strange #1- Ah yes. Dr. Strange. Another one of my early favorites. Strange Tales was an obsession for me as a kid. We have this funky thrift store in town that has a huge back issue section. I probably bought every one of my Dr. Strange comics from there. My favorite story is the one-shot painted by P. Craig Russell. This issue is an update on his origin. We don't even see a hint of the costume or the Eye of Ammagotto. This is one I will give a shot. Who knows? Maybe it will be done right...
• Swamp Thing #7 (current series)- WOOHOO! Richard Corben! He has such an individual style. Spooky and cartoony. His faces are what I always notice first. He's still so cool and different. This issue features more of the "original recipe" Swamp Thing. Liked it a bunch, especially the double page "trophy room" spread.
• The Witching #4- I really want to like this book, but the pace is so damn slow! I couldn't keep my attention on it. Another victim of CSI.
• X-men #161 and #162- This title is becoming my guilty pleasure book. For some reason, I enjoy this book. I know I ragged on is a few issues ago, but it is coming around. The story is decent and the art is alright, but together, it works somehow. I do have somewhat of a problem with the art. Occasionally, Salvador Larocca seems to have trouble getting the story across. I like his art but sometimes I can't follow it. The story is actually drawing me in. Sheesh. I shouldn't have to defend books I like, but this one feels like a special case, since some many people I know have ragged on it.
  

That's it for the single issues. I don't remember how much I spent. That hardcover I bought? Well, it is the JLA/Avengers. One of my favorite things to get is hardcover collections. If it is an oversized hardover collection? Sold! George Perez's art has never looked better. It could have failed, much like the aborted original crossover from the eighties, but it fired on all cylinders. Kurt Busiek's script was fun and worked on all levels, from casual fan to full-on supernerds wearing "I Grok Spock" t-shirts. It took me days to pour over the book, looking for little things in the art. The slipcase hardcover comes with a companion book, detailing the history of the two companies crossovers, why the first attempt failed with pencilled pages of the original, annotations... I was in heaven. In fact, I am still going through it. It is beautiful. I can actually remember when I became a huge fan of Perez. It was 1986, when I bought the History Of The DCU two-parter, published in what used to be known as "prestige format". I poured over those, marvelling at characters I had never heard of, like Uncle Sam and Phantom Lady and Human Bomb. It actually got me interested in the history of comics. Avengers/JLA is a fantastic collection, albeit a bit steep in the price department at $75. To me, it is worth every penny.

No links this week. Too many damn books. And, if you're interested, I am a somewhere in the middle between casual fan and supernerd. I, too, grok Spock. I just don't advertise it.

It feels good to be back. See you next week, kids!